Roller skate



P. L. ORMISTON.

ROLLER SKATE. APPLICATION FILED MAIL 5.11920.

1,402,01 0. I Patented 1M, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- P. L. ORMISTON.

-ROLLER SKATE.

APPLICATION man MAR. s. 1920.

1,402,01 0 a Patented Jan. 3,1922

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- RiZfj l. 07772601 076 A 35% WW entree stares PATENT @IFFHQE.

EEEY L. ORIVIISTON, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

ROLLER. SKATE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERLEY L. ORMISTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Roller Skate, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to skates and more particularly to devices of this character provided with rollers and adapted for road use, whereby the wearer is enabled to speed with safety and can negotiate steep grades, and has the skate under control at all times, through a brake mechanism and a ratchet appliance.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention. However, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions, various changes in the form,. proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings hereto attached:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a roller skate illustrating an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, looking upwardly as designated by the arrows.

Figure 4: is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking toward the front and showing the parts on a larger scale,

Figure 5 is a detail view of the toe clamp operating mechanism.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the ankle brace and leg strap,

Figure 7 is a sectional detail on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 showing the parts on a larger scale.

Corresponding and. like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The present invention relates more par-. ticularly to roller skates for road use and sometimes designated as pedocycles. As shown in the accompanying drawings the skate comprises a frame and rollers or wheels having a tandem arrangement and centrally. disposed, there being a single roller or wheel in front and a single roller or wheel in the rear. The frame of the skate con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 11922.

1920. Serial No. 363,608.

prises a plate 1 which conforms approximately to the sole of the foot covering and front and rear brackets 2 and 3 respectively,

said brackets preferably forming a part ofthe plate 1. Each of the brackets comprises side members which are disposed inward from the edges of the plate 1 as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The rollers or wheels 'are mounted between the side members comprising the brackets. The wheels or rollers are of like construction and are similarly mounted, each wheel or roller being provided with a soft tread tire 4t. Each of the wheels comprises a pair of disks 5 which are pressed into an approximately concavo-convex form, said disks bein arranged with their concave sides facing. he edge portions of the disks are outwardly curved or deflected as indicated at 6 s that when the disks are pressed together, a channel is formed for the reception of the tire 4;. The disks when pressed together touch near their outer edges and are adapted to be secured in any manner. A short tube 7 is supported centrally of the disks and constitutes the hub. Cups 8 are secured within end portions of the tube 7 and receive balls 9. The axle 10 passing through the hub of the wheel and through openings in the side members of the bracket is provided with cones 11 which co-operate with the cups 8 and balls 9. One of the cones 11 is adjustable and removable in a manner well understood so as to make provision for assembling the parts and adjusting the same to prevent any play and to provide for taking up wear.

The frame is provided with a heel guard 12 which is disposed at the rear of the plate 1 and may be attached thereto or formed therewith as a part thereof. The heel guard 12 is provided with an ankle strap 13 whereby the skate may be secured to the rear portion of the foot. The'front portion of the skate is attached to the boot or shoe by means of two clamps 14-. which are adapted to be actuated by means of a lever 15 through a screw adjustable mechanism of well known construction and arran ement. The adjusting screw 16 is provl ed with a nut 17 which is engaged by a clip 18 to which one end of the lever 15 is pivotally connected. The two clamps 14 are pivotally connected to the adjusting screw 16. By adjusting the nut 17 the jaws of the two clamps 14 may be relatively adjusted to insure their firm gripping of the sole of the boot or shoe when the skate is properly positioned upon the foot of the wearer.

The'speed of the skate may be controlled by means of a brake shoe19. This brake shoe curves in the direction of its length in conformity to the circumference of the roller or wheel and is of U-form in crosssection so as to straddle the tire and engage the rim of the wheel as shown most clearly in Fig. 7

thereby preventing undue wear on the tire.

The brake shoe 19 preferably consists of a" strip of metal bent into the form substantially as shown. As a consequence, the side members of the brake shoe are slightly resilient and are adapted to engage the rim of the roller or wheel by a wedging action. The edge portions of the brake shoe are outwardly flared as indicated at 21 so as to ride upon the .rim of the wheel when the' brake shoe is brought into active position. A frame 21 of approximately U-form has its side member pivotally connected to the heel guard 12 at 22. The frame 21 curves longitudinally thereby admitting of its side mem bers being pivotally connected to the upper portions of the side pieces of the heel guard, whereas the rear portion of the frameis disposed near the periphery of the rear wheel so as to properly support the brake shoe 19 which is secured thereto. Sleeves 23 at the upper ends of the side members of the frame 21 receive the lower ends of the side members 24 of an ankle brace. The side members 24 of the ankle brace are vertically disposed and are connected at their upper ends by means of a cross piece 25 which is tranversely curved, so as to extend about the rear portion of the limb to which the skate is attached. A leg strap 26 is secured in any manner to the cross piece 25 of the ankle brace and provides for attaching' the upper part of the ankle brace to the limb of the user.

A ratchet mechanism co-operates with one of the wheels .and as shown is disposed to co-act with the front wheel or roller. This ratchet mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 27 and a pawl comprising upwardly inclined members 28 and 29, said-pawl being pivoted at 30 to one of the said members of the bracket 2. The ratchet teeth face in a counter clockwise direction so as to be engaged by a catch at the rear end of the member 28 whereby the roller or wheel is prevented I from backward rotation. The pivot support 30 of the pawl is disposed substantially in vertical line with the front axle 10 andthe members 28 and 29 comprising the pawl normally extend upon opposite sides of the upper portion of the ratchet wheel and are spaced from the teeth thereof, so as not to interfere with the free rotation of the front wheel. When theplate 1 of the skate is in horizontal position, the pawl is pivotally mounted so as to move freely. When the toe of the skate is' elevated the lower end of the member 28 engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel 27 and prevents backward rotation of the front wheel. This enables the wearer to ascend a grade which otherwise would not be possible if the wheels were free to rotate. When the toe of the skate is tilted downwardly the lower end of the member 29 of the pawl comes into play and engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel thereby enabling the user to check or arrest the speed of the skate. It will thus be understood that the 'pawl automatically comes into play whether the toe of the skate is elevated or depressed, thereby enabling the user to descend or climb a grade or to control the speed of the skate.

The brake mechanismis adapted to be controlled by a relative movement of the foot, or limb. The pivot connection 22 of the frame 21 with the heel guard 12 of the skate is about in line with the ankle and when the upper end of the ankle brace is secured about the limb and. the frame of the skate is-fastened to the foot, a relative backward move ment of the upper end of the ankle brace brings the brake into play thereby enabling the user to control the speed of the skate.

Having thus fully described my invention what Iclaim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. In a roller skate, a ratchet mechanism for controlling the speed thereof, the same consisting of a ratchet wheel rotatable with one of the rollers, and a pawl pivotally' mounted to move freely and comprising angularly disposed members arranged to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel upon opposite sides of a line passing vertically. throu h the axis of the ratchet wheel.

2. fn a roller skate, a ratchet mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel rotatable with one of the rollers, and a pawl pivotally mounted to move freely and comprising oppositely inclined members" extending upon opposite sides of the ratchet wheel, the rear member being provided at its lower end with a catch to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel when the toe of the skate is relatively elevated, and the other member being disposed to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel when the toe of the skate is relatively depressed.

3. In a'roller skate, a brake mechanism comprising a shoe of substantially U-form in cross section, and havin its side members flared and resilient, an adapted to extend along the sides of the ,tire without touching the same and engage opposite sides 13 of the roller.

4. In a roller skate, a frame of substan tially U-fotm having its side members pivotally connected to the frame of the skate, and formed into vertically disposed sleeves,

said frame being provided at its lower rear end with the brake shoe adapted to cooperate with the rear roller of the skate, an ankle pivotally mounted upon said frame, and extending to the rear thereof, a roller, said brake shoe overhanging the top of said roller 15 in the rear of the shoes pivotal support. whereby the shoe will be automatically drawn into engagement with the roller and clamped in such a position after once having been drawn into contact with the roller. 20

- Intestimony whereof I afiix my slgnature in presence of two witnesses.

PERLEY L. ORMISTO'N. Witnesses:

J. E. PARKER, W. A. GRAEPER. 

